How To Use A Taco Salad Shell Maker

Learn how to use a taco salad shell maker and make festive, restaurant style taco salads at home. A taco salad shell maker is a small pan with fluted sides designed to turn ordinary flour or corn tortillas into edible bowls for salad. You don't have to be an expert home cook or even very good in the kitchen to use a taco salad shell maker.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While your oven heats, prepare your ingredients. Lay out the tortillas, chop any vegetables you will put in the taco salad shells, and cook any meat or beans.

Spray cooking oil onto both sides of one tortilla. If you do not have an aerosol cooking oil spray, use a brush or paper towel to lightly coat each side of the tortilla with cooking oil.

Place the tortilla into the taco salad shell maker. Push the center of the tortilla down to the bottom of the taco salad shell maker and push the sides of the tortilla into the shell maker's fluted sides. Repeat with any other taco salad shell makers and tortillas

Place the taco salad shell maker into the oven. Let the tortilla bake in the shell maker for about ten minutes, or until it is crispy.

Remove the taco salad shell makers from the oven. Carefully pull the tortilla out of each shell maker. Use a pot holder, since they will be very hot.

Place each freshly baked taco salad shell on a serving plate. Fill the shells with toppings of your choice, such as ground beef, black beans, chopped lettuce, tomatoes and onions, and grated cheese. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole on the top.